As Jorge Luis Borges shapes the words of the introduction to his well-known book, The Book of Imaginary Beings, “there is something in the dragon’s image that fits man’s imagination, and this accounts for the dragon’s appearance in different places and periods” (Borges 12). Indeed, folklore possesses a significant purpose in most countries’ historical and cultural development, and without a shadow of a doubt, the images of the dragons can be easily traced all across the world, though their name and dividing physical characteristics may differ from each other in most cases. From the Mexican feathered deity, the Quetzalcoatl, to the Japanese Ryūjin, and from the Northern, Old Norse Fafnír to the aboriginal Rainbow Serpent, the folklore of the …show more content…
They can be worshipped, feared, abhorred, respected. Their chief adjectives may divaricate from place to place, but it can be agreed that all of the dragon portrayals evoke one word that can be linked to them: power. They are supreme beings that cannot be messed with or the consequences must be come up against. The sole essence of these enormous, snake-like beasts where enough to use them as an indicator of power and strength. Their portraits come into sight on the pages of the ancient medieval lexicons, on the Viking vessels, or even on the flags of the Chinese Qing …show more content…
How did these magical, celestial beings come into existence? It is certain that there must be an explanation, and though folklore studies still quarrel over the core of the dragon legends and various myths across the globe, the legitimate answer would be the unearthing of the dinosaur and Quaternary mammalian fossils, which were discovered as a result of erosion and the spread of agriculture and housing system, where boring and digging up the soil could have ended up in a sudden surprise in the form of large, unexplainable bones of an unknown being (Sanz 24-25). On the other end of the spectrum are the real, living creatures that an everyday man can face with. It is enough to ponder the character of the crocodiles, alligators, various sea predators, or even the lizards of the deep jungles. Even in the beginning of the twentieth century, a pilot, whose plane crashed into the islands of Indonesia, has mistaken the komodo dragon of the magical beast: “The airman came back with a tale that he had met fierce and monstrous dragons, at least four meters long, which according to the inhabitants ate pigs, goats, and deer, and even attacked horses” (Huevelmans 50). In consequence, it can be indubitably understood that a face-to-face encounter with “dragons” was a possibility not only centuries, but even a few decades ago. Therefore assuming
Everyone comes across difficulties in their everyday life. It doesn’t matter how small you are or how big you are or even how tough you are, you run into a problem every single day. Some problems are easier to handle and you can work them out by your self like Beowulf did with Grendel. Some problems might be too difficult to handle or no way of concurring it by yourself. There are a lot of hard things we come across that we may need help on just like the dragon in Beowulf. Beowulf needed a little help with the dragon. The dragon was too much for him to handle and it was beating Beowulf. I have faced a few “personal dragons” on my own including my parents getting a divorce when I was young and collage.
(blackdrago.com) “Dragon images have been found on the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, on scrolls from China, in Egyptian hieroglyphs and Ethiopian sketches, on the prows of Viking ships, in bas relief on Aztec temples, on cliffs above the Mississippi River and even on bones carved by Inuits in climates where no reptile could live.” (McNeil) Stories of dragons can be found all through history. Over five thousand years ago, ancient Sumerian cultures had dragon legends in their religions. Modernly, few still believe dragons exist, they can still be found in our movies, books and video
Dragons lie in the realm of fantasy; legendary creatures who are deeply rooted in magic and have captivated audiences for centuries. The depiction
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
entertainment. There are many precedents for dragons in medieval literature, two of the most prominent
From before the dawn of civilization as we know it, humanity has formed myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Whether it is of Zeus and Hera or Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanagi-no-mikoto, every civilization and culture upon this world has its own mythos. However, the age of myth is waning as it is overshadowed in this modern era by fundamental religion and empirical science. The word myth has come to connote blatant falsehood; however, it was not always so. Our myths have reflected both the society and values of the culture they are from. We have also reflected our inner psyche, conscious and unconscious, unto the fabric of our myths. This reflection allows us to understand ourselves and other cultures better. Throughout the eons of humanity’s existence, the myths explain natural phenomena and the cultural legends of the epic hero have reflected the foundations and the inner turmoil of the human psyche.
Throughout several myths, monsters are described as many diverse creatures. At first glance, they all seem very distinctive. However, each monster is like a combination of several qualities and characteristics that are matched in different ways to form the monsters that appear in myths such as Hercules, Bellerophon, and Perseus. All monsters have very distinct looks that make them inferior to humans. Generally, they are a mixture of two or more different animals such as snakes, lions, or humans and they may have multiple heads. For example, Cerberus was a horrific three-headed dog that had the tail of a dragon and his back was covered with snakes. Several monsters have some part of them from a snake. Snakes symbolize an evil quality and that is why many monsters are forms of them. Cerberus had his whole back covered in snakes and a dragon tail. Both of these are snake-like parts that contribute to Cerberus looking terrifying. His tail is from a dragon which is very similar to a snake and his back is filled with snakes like fur. The Hydra of Lerna is also an im...
Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. 5th ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. Print.
Exhibit Overview and Rationale. The “The Myth And The Reality” exhibition is intended for the visitors who are interested in historical, religious, human behaviors, mythological material, nature of animals, and the world we live in. Mythical creatures are created by people’s imaginations, hopes, fears, and most importantly, their own imaginations. passionate dreams.
Visser, Marinus Willem De. The Dragon in China and Japan. Amsterdam: J. Müller, 1913. Print.
Unlike the former two “monsters” in Beowulf, the dragon is not characterized among cold, dark imagery. Rather, Beowulf (representing the “good”) must venture to the “flaming depths” to fight the dragon in its own territory (2549). Instead of a dark, wintry description, the dragon is surrounded by hot, light imagery in respect to the fire it breathes. Although this is the nature of the beast (literally), the Beowulf-poet’s choice of a dragon as the third monster is critical in making a statement about “good” in respect to “evil.” In a way, the speaker is bringing Beowulf and the dragon to an equal level; he even regards the two in battle as “each antagonist” rather than one protagonist and one antagonist (2565). In this manner, the line between “good” and “evil” is obscured even
In Harriet Prescott Spofford’s “Circumstance” she tells of a woman who is visiting a sick neighbor. Where they live neighbors are miles apart, with the woods between being home for many wild animals, as well as Indian tribes. The woman stays with the neighbor too long and does not realize night is approaching, and she hurries home. Spofford begins the story in a very realistic tone. On her way home she is attacked by a sort of mountain lion. Spofford gives a romantic description of the beast, never giving the exact name of the animal. “Suddenly, a swift shadow, like the fabulous flying-dragon, writhed through the air before her, and she felt herself instantly seized and borne aloft. It was that wild beast - the most savage and serpentine and subtle and fearless of out latitudes- known by hunters as the Indian Devil.” (86) In her definition she keeps the beast from being real. Describing the animal as a beast, a flying dragon, and a devil gives the reader a mysterious impression of the animal, rather than being realistic and calling this flying dragon ...
Rosenburg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Third Edition. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Text.
Thury, Eva and Margaret K. Devinney. “Theory: Man and His Symbols.” Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. 519-537. Print.
When you where a kid did your parents ever tell you stories about your culture or about your family’s values? Chances are they where telling you a folk tale. Folk tales are stories passed down usually by word of mouth but often they are written down. Folk tales teach a valuable life lesson while entertaining the reader or in some cases the listener. This essay will give examples of three folk tales and go into depth on how they teach lessons and still remain entertaining for children and even adults.